


Gentle and Strong

by devilinthedetails



Category: PIERCE Tamora - Works, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Gen, Heroism, Identity, Leadership, Mother and Son, Politics, Provost's Dog, References to Child Abuse, References to kidnapping, Role Models, Strength, Weakness, stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 10:26:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16345025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/devilinthedetails/pseuds/devilinthedetails
Summary: Gareth of Conte learns to be gentle and strong.





	Gentle and Strong

Gentle and Strong

“Which Gareth did you and Father name me after?” Gareth asked his mother as he found himself staring up at the imposing portrait of the second King Gareth as his mother guided him through the royal gallery, allowing him to put faces to the names of the famous rulers he had memorized in history lessons with his tutor. 

“Your father let me choose your name from any of his ancestors.” Mother squeezed his fingers between her own, smiling down at him from between her black curly clouds of hair. “In the end, I didn’t select your name to honor any king. I chose it because its meaning pleased me.” 

“What does it mean?” Gareth pressed, golden honey brown eyes eager, when his mother paused. 

“It means gentle.” Seeing the disappointment that suddenly shadowed his enthusiastic gaze, Mother cupped the soft skin of his cheek. “A king should always be gentle to those beneath him. The best, most beloved kings are the gentlest ones. I want you to remember that forever.” 

“Yes, Mother.” Since this seemed so important to her, Gareth nodded obediently, auburn hair spilling over the beak nose he had inherited from his father the king. 

He tried to follow his mother’s advice about gentleness–treating his nursemaids, guards, servants, and tutors with compassion and courtesy as more manners were hammered into his head every day–until he was made a hostage and a slave. Then he became determined not to be gentle but to be strong–strong enough to survive the beatings, strong enough to testify against his abductors, and strong enough to convince his father to end slavery so no more boys and girls would have to live or die in the horrible ways he had seen that he both shivered to remember and feared to forget. 

Such strength felt unnatural to him, as if he were defying the very person his name defined him to be. He would have run to Lunedda to help him fit together this puzzle of who he was into a complete, clear image if she hadn’t been killed when he was stolen from his nursery. Instead he sought out the bravest knight he knew who had rescued him from slavery and beatings. 

“I want to be strong, my lady.” Gareth watched with wide eyes as Lady Sabine of Macayhill and Princehold scrubbed at her armor with sand to make it shine. “My name means gentle, though, and my mother says that I should always be gentle.” 

“In a bedtime story my nursemaid told me, there was a knight named Gareth.” Lady Sabine’s broad shoulders shook as she continued to attack her armor. “He was gentle and strong. He was gentle to those who needed his protection but strong when he fought those who would harm the innocent and the weak. Since childhood, he’s been a hero of mine, someone I tried to model myself after to find the perfect balance of gentleness and strength. Perhaps he could be a hero and model of yours too, Your Highness?” 

“He could be.” Gareth bounced excitedly on his heels. He wanted to follow in Lady Sabine’s footsteps, taking her hero as his own. “If you told me all the stories about him.”


End file.
